University of Massachusets Athletics
Baseball Prepares To Open 2002 Season
February 20, 2002 | Baseball
Feb. 20, 2002
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With a lineup consisting of seven returning starters, including four of the top five leading hitters on last season's squad, a visitor might expect head coach Mike Stone to be relaxed as his 2002 University of Massachusetts baseball team prepares for its season opener.
While that might be accurate when it comes to the offensive lineup, quite the opposite is true as Stone and his staff try to piece together a pitching staff that lost two of its top three starters to graduation after the 2001 season.
With an early season schedule that includes 14 of the first 15 games away from the friendly confines of Earl Lorden Field, the Minutemen will have to learn on the road.
"We have a good group of young players that have experience," Stone said of his 2002 squad. "I think we have a nice balance of veterans and youngsters."
The Minutemen lost just six lettermen, returning 23 players with from last season's squad that captured the Atlantic 10 title for the seventh time in eight seasons.
"In the past, we've had good kids that work hard and compete every inning of every game," Stone said. "You can't predict whether this team will do the same, but I think with the number of experienced players we have returning, we have a good chance of continuing to build upon the success we've had recently."
Pitching Staff
With the departure of Craig Szado and Nick Skirkanich, UMass' No. 1 and No. 3 starters last season, senior right-hander Jesse Santos (Chelmford, Mass.) will be looked to for leadership on the 2002 squad.
Santos finished the 2001 season with a team-high seven wins. He led the Minutemen with 71-2/3 innings pitched, and compiled a 4.90 earned-run average, second lowest on the team.
After Santos, senior right-handers Brian Hourigan (Beacon Falls, Conn.) and David Loonie (Longmeadow, Mass.) will compete for starting jobs.
Loonie, who missed the 2000 season and struggled through last year after shoulder surgery, should be at full strength this season. Hourigan started six games last spring, posting a 3-1 record.
The Minutemen will look to a group of youngsters to provide depth. Sophomore Eric Chown (Fall River, Mass.) emerged as a top reliever for the Minutemen last season. He finished the year with a team-leading 4.08 ERA in 18 appearances, and his 5-1 record was the team's best.
Adding to the depth will be junior Matt Boulanger (Westfield, Mass.) and an influx of young talent. Boulanger started 22 games at shortstop last season, and has worked during the offseason to provide depth in the bullpen.
Junior P.J. Washenko (Fitchburg, Mass.) and sophomore Brandon White (Foster, R.I.) both saw limited action in relief last year and will be available again this season.
Freshmen right-handers Mike Crane (Braintree, Mass.), Jeremy Demers (Easthampton, Mass.) and Julio Ramos (Lawrence, Mass.) along with lefties Keith Doherty (Quincy, Mass.), Matt Mitchell (Roslindale, Mass.) and Scott Ratliff (Helen-dale, Calif.), are expected to contribute as well.
"There's no doubt we will miss having two of last year's top pitchers early this season," Stone said. "But this year's staff, as a whole, could be improved from last year's. We should have a solid group of guys that can throw strikes and, overall, we should be more competitive as a staff."
Catcher
Junior Tom Ellerbrook (Northampton, Mass.), one of last season's team co-MVPs, should again provide an excellent defensive presence for the Minutemen.
Ellerbrook, who played in 360 of a possible 372 innings last season, served a valuable role in the bottom of the lineup last season, driving in 29 runs from his spot in nine hole.
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| Junior Catcher Christopher Morgan |
Morgan started 41 games behind the plate in 2000, finishing that season with six home runs and 33 runs batted in. As one of the top power hitters on the team, the switch-hitting Morgan could also see action as a designated hitter.
Senior Paul Tupa (Rolla, N.D.), who comes over from the UMass football team, and sophomore Anthony Gorneault (Springfield, Mass.) should provide depth behind the dish.
"In essence, we have two returning catchers who have both proven they can play at this level," said Stone. "It's a tremendous asset to have several catchers you can count on."
Infield
There will be some familiar faces around the infield for the Minutemen this season, as all four starters return from last year's squad.
At first base will be junior Jeff Altieri (Whitinsville, Mass.), who earned second team All-Atlantic 10 and All-New England honors after starting every game last season.
Altieri finished the 2001 season with a team-leading 42 RBI and was second on the team with 57 hits.
Freshman Curt Szado (Monson, Mass.) has worked diligently on his offense during the offseason, and will have the opportunity to provide depth at both first and third base.
A pair of sophomores should return to the middle of the infield, as Adam Stojanowski (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Cullan Maumus (New Orleans, La.) resume the starting jobs that they claimed last season.
Stojanowski began the 2001 season as the starting second baseman, and finished the year with a .345 batting average.
At shortstop, Maumus started the last 17 games for the Minutemen, a stretch in which UMass was 13-4, including a season-high eight game winning streak. Maumus recorded nine two-hit games in the team's final 17 contests, and posted a team-leading .379 batting average for the season.
Senior captain Aaron Senez (Springfield, Mass.) has been the team's starting third baseman for more than a season and a half, and has started 103 games in the infield for the Minutemen.
Senez served as the starting shortstop until junior third baseman John Seed (New Bedford, Mass.) suffered an ankle injury midway through the 2000 season. When Senez moved to third, Boulanger took over at shortstop for the remainder of the season.
With Seed healthy after redshirting in 2001 and Boulanger available to provide depth, the Minutemen should be well stocked on left side of the infield.
Sophomores Ryan Suchanek (Greenfield, Mass.) and Mike Athas (Holyoke, Mass.), who played in three games last season for the University of Connecticut, should also see action in the middle of the infield.
Outfield
The UMass outfield will open the season without two starters from the 2001 squad, center fielder Nick Gorneault and right fielder Gavin Clark. Two of the top hitters on last season's team, Gorneault and Clark manned the third and fifth spots in the Minuteman lineup a year ago.
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| Senior Outfielder Michael Kulak |
Kulak enters the season with 106 career starts and stands seventh on the school's all-time chart with a career .350 batting average. He will play both left and center field this season.
Junior Tim Klett (Chicopee, Mass.) is slated to share time with Kulak in left and in the designated hitter role. Klett finished last season with a .344 average and three home runs in just 12 starts. In the last eight games of the regular season last year, Klett was 11 of 21 with two home runs and six RBI.
Junior Connell Clark (Springfield, Mass.) will compete for playing time either in the outfield or as the designated hitter. He played in 35 games last season, earning 32 starts. He finished the year with three home runs, 19 RBI and a team-leading 17 stolen bases.
Joining Clark, Kulak and Klett in the outfield will be a group of athletes that have seen very little action during their careers.
Freshmen Derrick Durepo (Ware, Mass.), Jason Twomley (Fitchburg, Mass.) and Neil Scheller (Westfield, Mass.) could see early playing time as they provide depth in the outfield.
Overview
It comes as no surprise that with a team of seven returning starters and an influx of talented newcomers coach Stone and his staff are ready for the season to begin.
"We're extremely excited about the upcoming season," Stone said. "Baseball is an unpredictable sport, but we have a chance to be very good this year."
